Tag: home-life

  • How Prince Harry is saving the environment

    How Prince Harry is saving the environment

    The World Economic Forum has estimated that currently there is 50 million tons of plastic in the world’s oceans which is alarming because plastic can take centuries to degrade. Hence, popular personalities across the world are making efforts to combat this problem and are encouraging people to go plastic-free and adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

    Prince Harry is one of them. UK media outlets, quoting the Prince’s close friend Argentinian polo player Nacho Figueras, have reported that the Duke of Sussex is making conscious efforts to cut down on his plastic use and actually requests hotels he stays in to use minimum plastic.

    Recalling a time he and Harry stayed a night at a hotel before a game, Figueras said, “He talked to a person at the hotel and said, ‘This morning I got my coffee and I saw that you have a plastic thing on the coffee. And then I also sent my shirt and I got my shirt in a big plastic bag.”

    Looks like Harry is borrowing a page from wife Meghan’s book. The Duchess follows an eco-friendly lifestyle and in fact, a lot of her fashion is also sustainable.

    Not only the Prince but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced a ban on single-use plastics in Canada. The leader of the state said that Canada will ban single-use plastics as early as 2021 and the specific items to be banned will be determined based on a science-based review, but the government is considering items such as water bottles, plastic bags and straws.

    Trudeau asserted that the issue of plastic pollution is a “global challenge” and that everyone should play an active role in combating it.

    Moreso, even our neighbours are taking the initiative to end plastic pollution. A village in the east India state of Assam, where people are too poor to pay school fees, is educating children free of cost as long as they bring 25 recyclable plastic items.

    Pakistanis are also making efforts to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, albeit on a micro-level. Here are some tips from The Green Gang Pakistan on how to use less plastic:

  • K Town gets a new bun man

    K Town gets a new bun man

    When Pappa Roti shut down in Pakistan, bun lovers across the country were left heartbroken. But Karachi fans can now rejoice because a new Baker Boy has arrived in the city.

    Baker Boy, a Malaysian brand, has opened its to doors to customers and are serving hot, buttery, coffee buns as well as karak chai and freshly baked brownies. Their signature buns are made with a special recipe that makes them crisp outside and soft inside. Sounds like the perfect tea time.

  • New study claims sleeping with light on can cause weight gain in women

    New study claims sleeping with light on can cause weight gain in women

    Women who sleep with the television or a light on in the bedroom may be more likely to gain weight, a new study has claimed.

    The research conducted a survey of almost 44,000 US women, with a follow-up five years later. The women in the study were classified according to their level of exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) which came from a variety of sources, from small nightlights or clock radios to light shining in from the street to televisions or room lights.

    One of the key findings was that women who slept with a television or a light on in the room were 17 percent more likely to have gained five kilograms (11 pounds) or more during the study period.

    Authors suggested that the light may be suppressing the production of melatonin, thereby disruption circadian rhythm and eating patterns.

    Other possibilities were that light acts as a “chronic stressor” disrupting the release of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids that play a part in regulating food intake, or that there may be another mechanism at work that affects metabolism directly.

    The authors acknowledged several limitations including that the data was self-reported and they did not know how intense various light sources were.

    High light exposure may also “reflect a constellation of measures of socioeconomic disadvantage and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, all of which could contribute to weight gain and obesity.”

    A professor of Chronobiology at the University of Surrey in Britain agreed with the finding saying, “To maintain good sleep hygiene, avoid light and electronic distractions in the bedroom.”

  • Uber Increases Fares for Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi

    Uber Increases Fares for Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi

    Uber has increased the fares of Go, Go Mini and Auto rides for the residents of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore following the fluctuation in petrol price and the inconsistent dollar rate in the market. The last increase in prices occurred at the start of this year and six months later Uber is increasing the price again for Islamabad. Lahore and Karachi.

    Lahore

    UberGo
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs Previous)     		Per Minute
    (Now vs Previous)
    Rs. 80 Rs. 11.58 vs 10.16 Rs. 5.18 vs 4.54
    Mini
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs Previous)     		Per Minute
    (Now vs Previous)
    Rs. 64 Rs. 9.26 vs 8.13 Rs. 4.14 vs 3.63
    Auto
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs Previous)     		Per Minute
    (Now vs Previous)
    Rs. 17.71 Rs. 13.42 vs 12.09 Rs. 3.10 vs 2.79

    Karachi

    UberGo
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs Previous)     		Per Minute
    (Now vs Previous)
    Rs. 80 Rs. 12.76 vs 11.00 Rs. 5.70 vs 4.91
    Mini
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs
    Previous)         		Per Minute
    (Now vs Previous)
    Rs. 64 Rs. 10.21 vs 8.80 Rs. 4.56 vs 3.93
    Auto
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs Previous)     		Per Minute
    (Now vs Previous)
    Rs. 24 Rs. 13.73 vs 12.13 Rs. 3.61 (unchanged)

    Islamabad

    UberGo
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs
    Previous)         		Per Minute
    (Now vs
    Previous)
    Rs. 90 Rs. 5.38 vs 4.10 Rs. 8.98 vs 4.62
    Uber Mini
    Base Fare Per KM
    (Now vs
    Previous)         		Per Minute
    (Now vs
    Previous)
    Rs. 72 Rs. 7.81 vs 6.17 Rs. 4.30 vs 3.67
  • Kalash battles tourism boom

    Kalash battles tourism boom

    Every year the Kalash, a group of less than 4,000 people confined to a handful of villages in the north, greet the new season with animal sacrifices, baptisms, and weddings at a festival known as “Joshi“.

    As celebrations kick off, tourists with phones jostle to get close to and photograph the Kalash women, whose vibrant clothing and headdresses contrast starkly with the more modest attire worn by many in the conservative Islamic republic.

    “Some people are using their cameras as if they were in a zoo,” said local tourist guide Iqbal Shah.

    Known for their pale skin and light-coloured eyes, the Kalash have long claimed ancestral links to Alexander the Great’s army, who conquered the region in the fourth century BC. They worship many gods, drinking alcohol is a tradition and marriages of choice is the norm, unlike in the rest of Pakistan where unions are often arranged.

    However, the community is far from being modern. Members of the community often wed in their teens, with women poorly educated and expected to perform traditional roles in the home.

    Nonetheless, stories about the Kalash are frequently fabricated, and this has been amplified in recent years by the influx of tourists and their smartphones and cameras.

    One video viewed 1.3 million times on YouTube, claims the Kalash “openly have sex” with partners of their choosing “in the presence of their husbands”.

    In the main Kalash village of Bumburate a hotel manager estimates that about 70 percent of Pakistani tourists visiting his establishment are young men, who often inquire about where to “find girls”. Hence, in Bumburate, posters now call on visitors to seek permission from villagers before photographing and signs warn tourists not to harass women.

    “If they don’t respect us, we don’t need tourists,” says Yasir Kalash, the vice president of the local hotel association.

    Regulating tourism is a cumbersome but vital task for the Kalash, with money from the industry increasingly providing an important source of revenue for the community which is dwindling and burying under increasing costs.

  • NASA to open International Space Station to tourists

    NASA to open International Space Station to tourists

    NASA is to allow tourists to visit the International Space Station from 2020, priced at $35,000 (Rs 5,233,900) per night.

    NASA will allow up to two private trips to
    the station per year, each lasting up to 30 days. The first mission could be as
    early as 2020. But the ride won’t be cheap. NASA estimated the cost of a flight
    would be around $50 million per seat. NASA will charge visitors for food,
    storage and communication at the station.

    “If you look at the pricing and you add it up, back of a napkin, it would be roughly $35,000 a night, per astronaut,” NASA’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit said at a news conference in New York.

    The two companies hired by NASA are SpaceX and Boeing which
    will be responsible for all the arrangements.

    NASA had previously banned any commercial use
    of the space station and prohibited astronauts from taking part in for-profit
    research.NASA does not own the station however it was built in 1998, with
    Russia, which has taken a more relaxed approach in recent decades to commerce.

    In 2001, US
    businessman Dennis Tito became the first tourist to visit when he paid Russia
    around $20 million for a round trip.

  • What does your Eidi say about you

    What does your Eidi say about you

    We all agree that the best part of Eid is eidi. And food. But mostly eidi. The amount of eidi you receive every year depends on various factors jaisay keh as your age, marital status and placement in the family. Here’s how your eidi defines you.

    > Rs 10,000

    If you receive more than 10,000 rupees on Eid, it means that you’re the youngest, and cutest in your family. Everyone likes to pull your cheeks and tease you. And while you hate that, you only tolerate it for all the monies that come in after all the drama is over.

    Rs 6,000 – 10,000

    You’re an unmarried person between the age of 21 and 26. Practically everyone in the family wants you to get married aur iss baat per taanay bhi bohat parhtay hain but you bear it all because those taanas are followed by some eidi. Ab paison kay liye thora bohat bardasht toh karna parta hai.

    Rs 4,000 – 6,000

    You’ve recently gotten married or have a new job so you get a meagerly 500 cause tumhain Eidi ki kya zarurat.

    Rs 1,000 – 4,000

    If you get this much eidi, you are above the age of 30 and possibly jobless or unmarried or you have children. If its the former, then your eidi is definitely sympathy eidi. And if its the latter, you will have to return the eidi to other people’s children which will only leave you in loss. Its a lose-lose situation.

    < Rs 1,000

    You stayed home and slept the entire day and then stole eidi from someone, such as your younger siblings.

  • Theresa May accused of sexism over gift given to Melania Trump

    Theresa May accused of sexism over gift given to Melania Trump

    All eyes are on the Trumps as they currently tour the United Kingdom. Ever since they landed on Monday afternoon, they’ve been engaged with the Royals. While Trump has back to back meetings today, his wife, Melania Trump will be having a tea with Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May’s husband.

    However, the residents of 10 Downing Street are facing accusations of “lazy sexism” for their choice of gifts. While Donald Trump received a historical artefact recalling the Second World War alliance of their nations, his wife Melania received a tea set from the Prime Minister.

    Trump’s gift was a framed typescript draft of the Atlantic Charter agreed by their predecessors, President Franklin Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill, in 1941. The president is a great admirer of Churchill and moved a bust of the wartime leader back into the Oval Office as one of his first actions on entering the White House.

    Meanwhile, Melania received a bespoke No 10 tea set, created by British designer Emma Bridgewater. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said that both gifts had been carefully chosen and the tea set was “a memento of a visit to No 10 as part of what we hope will be a successful state visit”.

    Melania’s choice of present did not sit down well with the public who described the tea-set as “patronising” and that it “portrayed an outdated view of gender roles.” They called out Theresa May for her “outdated belief that there are ‘boys roles’ and ‘girls roles’.”

    Some even joked that “Melania is married to one of the most divisive and unpleasant men in modern history – so at the very least she will need something stronger than tea.”

  • Want to impress your Khalas and Phuphos?

    Eid and dawats go hand in hand, especially considering the festivities of Eid would mean nothing if not for family gatherings. This Eid, TheCurrent helps you set up your Eid table so you can impress all your Phuppos, Khalas and Chachis.

  • Bye Bye Apple iTunes

    Bye Bye Apple iTunes

    Apple
    has officially decided to discontinue its iTunes music service and offer three
    separate applications for music, television, and podcasts.

    One of the biggest questions that longtime users of iTunes have is “What would happen for your existing music”

    During the announcement for the new macOS Catalina operating system that revealed the separate apps, it was revealed that Apple doesn’t intend to let the back catalogs of their users disappear.

    Technology
    and Telco editor at Finder, Alex Kidman said,

    “That’s
    data that Apple already makes available to your existing iOS devices, and
    there’s no real reason to think that it won’t take this approach with split
    apps under MacOS. If you’ve got content purchased through Apple, it’ll still be
    on record with them and should be accessible on compatible devices. For PC
    users, we’ll have to wait and see what Apple’s replacements will be, but again,
    it’s not like Apple wants to lose consumers who have Apple Music subscriptions,
    or those who buy or rent movies or TV shows through Apple. That’s still a
    lucrative revenue source for them.”